Clover-hulling machine.



No. 771,885 PATBNTED OCT. 11,1904.

A. POIRIER.

CLOVER HULLIN'G MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1904.

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A. 201mm. CLOVER HULLING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 1,1904.

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Attorneys No. 771,885. PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

A. PQIRIER. I CLOVER HULLING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 1,1904. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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' of adjustment thereof.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ALPHONSE POIRIER, OF NORMANDIN, CANADA.

CLOVER-HULLING MACHINE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 771,885, dated October 11, 1904.

Application filed June 1, 1904.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHONSE PoIRIER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Normandin, Lac St. Jean, county of Chicoutimi, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jlover-Hulling Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines especially adapted for use in hulling clover and which may be used for the purpose of separating the exterior shell from grain or seed of any kind which may be passed through the machine; and it consists in certain features of novelty in the detail construction and arrangement of the cooperative parts whereby a machine which is simple in character and which may be operated by minimum power is produced, the said machine being hereinafter more fully described.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine of the character described which may be operated from any suitable source of power and which will hull clover and separate the hulls from the clover-seed in an expeditious manner, the machine containing various means whereby the several cooperating actuating parts may be adjusted to regulate them to differential feed.

In the annexed drawings similarnumerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view Fig. 3 is a-sectional view taken on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view taken approximately on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. elevational view taken on the line 5 5 ofFig. 1. Fig. 6isadetached broken sectional view taken on the line'6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an exaggerated detail showing the facing for the ahrading-plates hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the parts, 1 is a supportingwhich rise posts 2, one of said base, from Serial No. 210,733. (No model.)

posts being provided at each corner of the machine for the purpose of supporting the superstructure thereof. Transverse connecting members 3 3 are provided for tying the framework together, while longitudinally-ex tending members 4 and 5 are fixed in position upon the said posts 2 to serve as braces and with the member 4 serving also as supporting means for the reciprocatory abradingplates and chute hereinafter described.

Supported in any convenient manner by the framework heretofore enumerated is a stub-shaft 6, carrying the driving wheel or pulley '7, to which a suitable driving-belt may be connected, while a pulley 8 on said shaft is provided with a belt 9,extending to a pulley 10 on the crank-shaft 11, said crank-shaft having acorresponding pulley 12 at the opposite end thereof, and the intermediate flywheel 13, fixed to said shaft. Extending from the pulley 12 is a belt 14, which, as shown in Fig. 1, extends to a pulley 15 on the shaft 16 for rotating the blower 17 which is best shown in Fig. 4, said blower being provided with the open casing 18, which is adapted to project air taken through the side orifices 19 of the blower-frame in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.4 for action upon material passed through the sieves or screens hereinafter referred to.

The crank-shaft 11 is provided with the angular extensions 20, upon which are connected pitmen 21, which extend thence to and are connected with the abrading-plates 22 of the machine. Said abrading-plates are supported by the links 23 (best shown in Fig. 5) between the arms 4 and 4*, and said links extend thence to the longitudinally-extended friction-bars 24, which bars are connected with the lower portion of the said abradingplates 22, at the lower portion thereof and upon the exterior of said fplates, so as to contact with the friction-rollers 25, which rollers are best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the said rollers being provided to guide the abradingplates 22 in their reciprocatory movement under the impulse of said crank-shaft 11. The rollers 25 are carried in frames comprising the longitudinally-pro ected and parallel bars 26 and 27, which extend from the cross-bars or connecting members 3 3 at opposite ends of the main frame of the machine, yokes 28 (best shown in detail in Fig. 6) being connected with said bars 26 and 27 .and ears 29 projecting from said yoke, between which ears the enlarged end 30, swiveled upon the screwshank 31, is adapted to play. The said screwshank passes through a perforation 32 in one of said ears or lugs 29, so that as the screwthread is projected in either direction by means of the crank 33 the said bars 26 and 27 are carried with it,so as to project the said rollers 25, into contact with the said friction-bars 24 for the purpose of providing lateral adjustment of the abrading-plates 22, before referred to. Supported upon the bars 4 4 within the upper portion of the frame are yokes 34, which yokes carry friction-rolls 35, adapted to bear against the upper portion of said abradingplates, and the said yokes are adjustable by means of the openings 36 (best shown in Fig. 2) and corresponding openings in the bar 4, with which the pins 37 are adapted to engage, whereby, as will be evident, both the lower and the upper portions of the abrading-plates 22 are rendered laterally adjustable for the purpose of regulating the opening between said plates.

A hopper 38 is provided above the opening between the abrading-plates, into which grain may be dumped, which grain it is intended shall be passed through the machine.

As shown in Fig. 7, the abrading-plates are provided with the lining-plates 39, which are provided over the entire surface thereof with projections 40, which are caused by stamping or punching openings in the said face-plates for'the purpose of providing greater or less irregularity of projection into the space between the said abrading-plates, which projections will during the operation of the machine impinge the grain or seed which is passed therethrough. Connecting the abrading-plates, as will be best seen in Fig. 3, are

flexible members 41, which may comprise any suitable material, as burlap or its equivalent, which connecting means are provided'for the purpose of preventing the accidental exit of grain or seed from between said plates when they are reciprocated during the operation of the machine.

Supported by suitable hangers 42 is a chute 43, which may be of any desired construction, but which is connected by means of the bracket 44 with either one of the abrading-plates 22, so that as movement is imparted to the said abrading plate a corresponding movement will be imparted to the said chute 43, and as said chute inclines from the front toward the rear of the machinethat is, from the end at which the crank-shaft 11 is supported toward the opposite end-it is manifest that any material which has passed between the. abradingplates and onto said chute will becarried in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and onto the screen 45, through which screen the finer" grain or seeds will pass onto the inclined chute 46, the said grain or seed in falling being subjected to a blast of air from the said fan 17, whereby such grain or seed will be freed from the attendant husks or hulls, &c., which have been separated during its passage through and between the abradingplates. As will be noted, an additional screen 47 is provided, which is of coarser mesh than the screen 45, and this screen is used for the purpose of separating chaff from seed which has not been thoroughly hulled in a single passage through the machine, so that said unhulled grain or seed will pass into the hopper or receptacle 48, (shown open in Figs. 1 and 4,) which receptacle will of course be tion of the machine. As the discharge end of the chute necessarily travels to a greater or less extent with relation to the receptacle 48, a flexible hanger 49 is connected with the framework of said chute, the end of said hanger falling into and being held within the receptacle 48, so that, regardless of such play of the chute, a permanent closure will be provided for said receptacle, and to facilitate the passage of air from the receptacle 48 the said hanger 49 is preferably of burlap or some suitable textile material which is not impervious to air and which will permit the passage of air therethrough while holding the seed or grain within the receptacle 48. It will be closed m any convenient manner during the operaevident that material passing through the screen 45 onto said chute 46 is in condition for use, but that material passing through the coarser screen and into the receptacle 48 may be removed from said receptacle and again passed through the machine for the purpose of accomplishing the necessary function with relation thereto. v

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: Unhulled grain or seed is dumped into the hopper 38 and passes between the face-plates 40 of the abrading-plates 22, which abradingplates are given a reciprocatory movement in opposite directions by means of the pitmen 21, extending fromthe cranks 20 on the shaft 11, whereby the said seed will be operated upon by the said face-plates 39 and hulled in their passage through between the plates 22, after which all of the material will fall onto the chute 43 and, as before described, be conducted along said chute to the fine and coarse meshed screens 45 and 47 where suitable separation takes place.

As it is necessary to adjust the abradingplates with relation to each other and a somewhat delicate adjustment thereof is necessary, the yokes 34, with their friction-rolls 35, are provided to adjust the upper or feed portion of such plates, whereat the adjustment need not be so delicate as near the lower portion, while the yokes 28, screw 31, and crank 33, ,which screw 31 passes through the bracket 50, are adapted to provide a very delicate adjustment of the lower portion of the said abrading-plates, and the rollers 25, carried by the frame-members 26 and 27, serve to assist in the easy running of the machine notwithstanding such adjustment. It will be evident that such upper and loweradjusting means are essential in a structure of this type,

, wherein the abrading-plates are vertically disposed, as shown in the drawings hereunto annexed, for the purpose of securing the most perfect results. A l 7 While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form or position without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such modificationsas are included within the scope of the-following claims or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a machine of the character described, a crank-shaft, pitmen actuated thereby, abrading-plates actuated by said pitmen, flexible connecting means between said plates near the ends thereof, means for causing independent lateral adjustment of the upper and lower portions of said plates, and a chute below the 7 plates. a

2. In a machine of the character-described, a crank-shaft, pitmen actuated thereby,- abrading-plates with a vertical passage therebetween, a supporting-frame for said plates, hangers leading therefrom to the lower portion of said plates, said frame, and friction-reducing rollers carried by said yokes, said rollers being adapted to bear upon said plates. v

3. In a machine ofthe character described, a supporting-frame, a plurality of roller-carrying frames, a plurality of rollers therein, means for adjusting said roller-frames, vertically-disposed abrading-plates, means for rereciprocatory yokes on .cipro'cating said plates simultaneously in op= posite directions, and flexible connecting means near the ends of said plates.

4. In a machine of the character described, a supporting-frame, a plurality of substantially vertical abrad-ing-plates, a chute, means for causing independent adjustment of the upper and lower portion of each plate, yield ing hangers therefor, and flexible connecting means for the end portions of said plates.

5. In a machine of the character described, a supporting-frame, approximately vertical and parallel abrading plates reciprocatory therein, hangers for said plates, means for imparting an opposite reciprocatory move ment to the plates, yokes independently adjustable transversely of the frame, and friction-reducing rollers carried by said yokes, said rollers being adapted to bear on said plates.

6. In a machine of the character described,

a supporting-frame including a plurality of longitudinal bars, a plurality of parallel bars in a higher plane, supporting means carried by the upper bars, reciprocatory abradingplates carried by said supporting means, a plurality of supporting means carried by the lower bars, a chute supported thereby, means for connecting the chute and one of said plates, and means for reciprocating said plates in opposite directions.

In a machine of the character described, a supporting-frame including a plurality of longitudinal bars disposed in different planes, reciprocatory abrading-plates which are approximately vertically disposed, hangers therefor carried from some of said bars, a longitudinal chute, supporting means therefor carried by others of said bars, connecting means between said chute and one of said plates, roller-bearing frames, rollers therein adapted to bear on said plates, and means for adjusting said roller-frames thereby causing adjustment of said plates with relation to each other.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALPHONSE POIRIER. Witnesses: 7

J OAGHIM PAQUIN, ARTHUR PAQUIN. 

